In this blog post, Jenn Punzalan takes on the topic of the difference between men and women on a more personal level.  By sharing her experiences, find out what led her to say that these differences actually work for the good and should be celebrated.

Read more . . .

PSALM 127 SPEAKS OF laboring in vain apart from God building the house Himself.

“Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain.”

Psalms 127:1

But in Psalm 128, it’s amazing to see a God-centered home…

“Blessed are all who fear the LORD, who walk in his ways.”Psalms 128:1

“Thus is the man blessed who fears the LORD.”

Psalms 128:4

…where a man’s labor will not be in vain, instead it will be richly rewarded.

For those of us who have struggled in the area of the past, in this passage, we were given the opportunity to look forward to what’s ahead of us. We may not be able to do something about our ancestors, but at least we can do something about our descendants.

A quote from the classic ‘KungFu Panda’ movie says…

“The Past is history; the Future’s a mystery, but Today is a Gift, that’s why it is called the Present.”

Well, as we live in the present, here are the promised effects in the life of a father or a husband who have made a choice to ‘fear the Lord’ and ‘walk in His ways’ today:

PHYSICAL PROVISION

God is blessing the works of the man’s hands. There is contentment in the midst of hard work. Men, husbands, and fathers…we are called to WORK. Work is not part of the curse. Man was assigned to work (Genesis 2.15), even before the curse came (Genesis 3). Guess what? He has promised satisfaction and assured return…

“You will eat the fruit of your labor…”

(Psalm 128 2a)

SPIRITUAL PROGRESS

The ultimate area of our responsibility as husbands and fathers: to establish a progressive spiritual atmosphere in our homes.

“…happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee.”

(Psalm 128.2b KJv)

Wellness and prosperity can’t just be relegated to material aspects but, overall, to the spiritual condition in a person’s life.

DOMESTIC (Home front) PRIORITY

The man of God being described here as the head and leader of the homes…

“Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house;

your sons will be like olive shoots around your table.”

Psalms 128:3

The “fruitful vine” speaks of an ‘enjoyment’, while the “olive shoots” speaks of ‘enrichment’.

An olive plant, if properly taken cared of, could possibly live for 150 years! Blessing generation after generations with its fruits.

“…and may you live to see your children’s children…”

Psalms 128:6

When we try to combine the two terms (enjoyment and enrichment), they actually depict ‘an abundant life’. Wow… ‘a wife like a fruitful vine, and sons like olive shoots’ for me is the ultimate picture of what a domestic life is all about.

So what does a home that has the taste of ‘heaven on earth’ look like?

Imagine this…

“A Home That Puts God First Can Experience An Abundant Life, In The Highest Sense.”